Howl Deadly and Never Say Sty by Linda O. Johnston

Already an L.A. attorney and pet-sitter, Kendra’s taken on a third job, masterminding a new reality show called “Animal Auditions.” But things get messier than the show’s pot-bellied pigs when her hot new producer is suspected of murder.

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Kendra, both a pet-sitter and a lawyer specializing in animal cases, is involved in the new potbellied pigs-based reality show "Animal Auditions". When a judge is killed and a couple of Kendra's friends are implicated, she is pulled back in to detective work. Additionally, a wealthy animal-lover, Dante DeFrancisco, is introduced as both a suspect and a love interest.

Kendra's weekend getaway with gorgeous millionaire Dante DeFrancisco turns chilling when a mother she-wolf goes missing from Dante's pet sanctuary. Now Kendra must find her-along with a killer hiding right before her eyes.

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Kendra and Dante are heading out for vacation when they get word that a wolf is missing from Dante's rescue society. Kendra suspects everyone of the crime, including the HotRescue workers, Dante's best friend Brody, and Dante himself. Even though I only read this a couple of weeks ago, I'm having trouble remembering details (not a good sign).

Rating: 6

What worked: I'm a big fan of the Kendra Ballantyne mysteries. I like Kendra. She is a smart go-getter who makes realistic decisions. She gets drawn into mysteries in a realistic way (as realistic as cozy mysteries get) and I like all of her pet-sitting charges, along with all of the recurring characters (and there are a lot of recurring characters--two law firms worth of lawyers, all of her pet sitting and law clients, police officers, etc.). The books are interesting and have a great pace, plus I like the details about the animals.

What didn't: I actually like these two books the least of the series. I think it's partially because I don't like the character of Dante DeFrancisco and I think Kendra dramatically overreacted in ending her last relationship with Shiba Inu-owning private detective Jeff. I know the whole "HotRescue" "HotPets" "HotWildlife" thing was started partially to tie-in to Johnston's other series about a HotRescue worker but I just found it bland. I hope Kendra kicks Dante to the curb and gets back to her roots of pet sitting soon.